Cinmpring kici

Minggu, 08 September 2019

Hong Kong protesters march to US Consulate to call for help from Trump - CNN

The march began in the Chater Garden public park in Hong Kong's business district before heading to the consulate as part of the 14th straight weekend of public demonstrations in the Asian financial hub.

In a letter which protesters planned to presented to consulate officials, the group calls for the passing of the proposed "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act 2019" by the US Congress.

One banner carried at the march read "President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong" in English. Some marchers sang the US national anthem as they moved towards the consulate.

"We share the same US values of liberty and democracy," 30-year-old banker David Wong said. "USA is a country of democracy. Donald Trump is elected by his people. We want this."

Protesters hold a banner and wave US national flags as they march to the US Consulate in Hong Kong on September 8.

The protests began peacefully but rapidly deteriorated into violence and vandalism over the afternoon, after police appeared to arrest a number of people in the busy Central subway station. The station was closed after the arrests.

The Sunday clashes indicate that an attempt by the Hong Kong government to defuse the crisis by withdrawing a controversial China extradition bill on Wednesday, one of the official five demands of the protest movement, had failed.

Leading activists said the move was too little too late and already on Sunday groups of protesters have been heard chanting, "Five demands, not one less."

The march is unlikely to end allegations by the Chinese government and state-run media that the United States has been interfering in the Hong Kong protests.

Speaking last week, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office spokesman Yang Guang accused US politicians of "shooting their mouths off" on the demonstrations.

Protesters wave United States flags during a protest in Hong Kong on Sunday September 8.

'Most favored nation' status

US President Donald Trump has shown little inclination to get involved in the Hong Kong protests since they began in June.

In August he said he hoped the demonstrations would eventually work out "for everybody, including China" and that no one gets hurt.

But some US politicians have been pushing for greater US action to help the protesters, with some even pushing for an official re-evaluation of Hong Kong's "most-favored-nation" trade status with the United States.

That special status gives countries certain trade advantages, including lower tariffs on imported goods, according to the US government.

A bipartisan group of US senators introduced the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act" in June, which requires an annual check that Hong Kong is autonomous enough "to justify special treatment."

Protesters wave US national flags as they march from Chater Garden to the US Consulate in Hong Kong on September 8.

It's this act which some protesters are calling on the US Congress to pass to put additional pressure on the Hong Kong government and Beijing to accede to their demands.

The interest US politicians have shown in Hong Kong, including Vice President Mike Pence and the Democrat Party leadership, have led to accusations from China that Washington is behind the three-month long demonstrations.

"It is an open secret in Hong Kong that the forces protesting the extradition bill have been sponsored by the US," Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times said in an editorial in July. Multiple high-ranking Chinese Foreign Ministry officials have repeated the claim without any proof.

The US State Department responded that Chinese claims of their involvement are "ridiculous."

A man holds a placard as protesters wave US national flags while they march from Chater Garden to the US Consulate in Hong Kong on September 8.

Months of protest chaos

Protest organizers say millions of people have taken to the streets of Hong Kong since early June, in protests which evolved from objections to the planned extradition bill into wider calls for greater democracy and civil rights.

Currently the protest movement has five demands, including an investigation into allegations of police brutality and the release of arrested demonstrators.

On Wednesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced one of the protesters' demands would be met by withdrawing the extradition bill from the local parliament.

But so far the government has refused to meet any of the other demands.

Despite the withdrawal by Lam, there have been clashes between police and protesters every night in the past week.

Much of the action has focused on the streets around Prince Edward subway station, in the residential and commercial hub of Mong Kok, where video from Sunday night showed police officers chasing down and forcefully arresting protesters.

Demonstrators at Sunday's march said that they're not going to back down until all their demands are met. "It's just like going to work," 64-year-old protester Felix Wu said, laughing.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/asia/hong-kong-us-protests-0809-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-09-08 09:32:00Z
52780375146421

Hong Kong protesters march to US Consulate to call for help from Trump - CNN

In a letter which protesters planned to presented to consulate officials, the group calls for the passing of the proposed "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act 2019" by the US Congress.

One banner carried at the march read "President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong" in English. Some marchers sang the US national anthem as they moved towards the consulate.

"We share the same US values of liberty and democracy," 30-year-old banker David Wong said. "USA is a country of democracy. Donald Trump is elected by his people. We want this."

The protests come despite attempts by the Hong Kong government to defuse the crisis by withdrawing a controversial China extradition bill on Wednesday, one of the official five demands of the protest movement.

But leading activists said the move was too little too late and already on Sunday groups of protesters have been heard chanting, "Five demands, not one less."

The march is unlikely to end allegations by the Chinese government and state-run media that the United States has been interfering in the Hong Kong protests.

Speaking last week, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office spokesman Yang Guang accused US politicians of "shooting their mouths off" on the demonstrations.

'Most favored nation' status

US President Donald Trump has shown little inclination to get involved in the Hong Kong protests since they began in June.

In August he said he hoped the demonstrations would eventually work out "for everybody, including China" and that no one gets hurt.

That special status gives countries certain trade advantages, including lower tariffs on imported goods, according to the US government.

A bipartisan group of US senators introduced the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act" in June, which requires an annual check that Hong Kong is autonomous enough "to justify special treatment."

It's this act which some protesters are calling on the US Congress to pass to put additional pressure on the Hong Kong government and Beijing to accede to their demands.

The US State Department responded that Chinese claims of their involvement are "ridiculous."

Months of protest chaos

Currently the protest movement has five demands, including an investigation into allegations of police brutality and the release of arrested demonstrators.

On Wednesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced one of the protesters' demands would be met by withdrawing the extradition bill from the local parliament.

But so far the government has refused to meet any of the other demands.

Despite the withdrawal by Lam, there have been clashes between police and protesters every night in the past week.

Demonstrators at Sunday's march said that they're not going to back down until all their demands are met. "It's just like going to work," 64-year-old protester Felix Wu said, laughing.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/asia/hong-kong-us-protests-0809-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-09-08 07:42:00Z
52780375146421

Hong Kong protesters march to US Consulate to call for help from Trump - CNN

In a letter which protesters planned to presented to consulate officials, the group calls for the passing of the proposed "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act 2019" by the US Congress.

One banner carried at the march read "President Trump, please liberate Hong Kong" in English. Some marchers sang the US national anthem as they moved towards the consulate.

"We share the same US values of liberty and democracy," 30-year-old banker David Wong said. "USA is a country of democracy. Donald Trump is elected by his people. We want this."

But leading activists said the move was too little too late and already on Sunday groups of protesters have been heard chanting, "Five demands, not one less."

The march is unlikely to end allegations by the Chinese government and state-run media that the United States has been interfering in the Hong Kong protests.

Speaking last week, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office spokesman Yang Guang accused US politicians of "shooting their mouths off" on the demonstrations.

'Most favored nation' status

US President Donald Trump has shown little inclination to get involved in the Hong Kong protests since they began in June.

In August he said he hoped the demonstrations would eventually work out "for everybody, including China" and that no one gets hurt.

That special status gives countries certain trade advantages, including lower tariffs on imported goods, according to the US government.

A bipartisan group of US senators introduced the "Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act" in June, which requires an annual check that Hong Kong is autonomous enough "to justify special treatment."

It's this act which some protesters are calling on the US Congress to pass to put additional pressure on the Hong Kong government and Beijing to accede to their demands.

The US State Department responded that Chinese claims of their involvement are "ridiculous."

Months of protest chaos

Currently the protest movement has five demands, including an investigation into allegations of police brutality and the release of arrested demonstrators.

On Wednesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced one of the protesters' demands would be met by withdrawing the extradition bill from the local parliament.

But so far the government has refused to meet any of the other demands.

Despite the withdrawal by Lam, there have been clashes between police and protesters every night in the past week.

Demonstrators at Sunday's march said that they're not going to back down until all their demands are met. "It's just like going to work," 64-year-old protester Felix Wu said, laughing.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/asia/hong-kong-us-protests-0809-intl-hnk/index.html

2019-09-08 07:18:00Z
52780375146421

Amber Rudd quits government over Johnson's Brexit stance - BBC News

Amber Rudd has quit the cabinet and surrendered the Conservative whip saying she cannot "stand by" while "moderate Conservatives are expelled".

The work and pensions secretary said she no longer believed leaving the EU with a deal was the government's "main objective".

Ms Rudd described the sacking of 21 Tory MPs on Tuesday as an "assault on decency and democracy".

No 10 said it was "disappointed" by the resignation of a "talented" minister.

But a spokesperson added that "all ministers who joined the Cabinet signed up to leaving the EU on 31 October come what may".

Ms Rudd's resignation comes as PM Boris Johnson is reportedly considering defying a new law aimed at forcing him to seek an extension to the Brexit deadline if he fails to secure parliamentary approval on an exit agreement by 19 October.

A senior No 10 source told The Sunday Times: "If there isn't a deal by the 18 [October] we will sabotage the extension."

According to the Sunday Telegraph, Downing Street says Mr Johnson "does not share the rebel interpretation" of the new law, expected to gain royal assent next week, which was drawn up by cross-party MPs, including 21 Tory rebels who have since been ousted from the party.

It is thought that Mr Johnson believes he could legally disregard some or all of the bill's requirements - a move that could see him hauled before the courts and potentially facing prison.

It's thought this could trigger an emergency judicial review by the Supreme Court next month, leading to a court showdown over whether the UK would be able to leave the EU with no deal on 31 October.

'This government will carry on'

Mr Johnson wrote in the Mail on Sunday and Sunday Express that on Monday he will offer Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn "one last chance" to agree to an early election.

If Mr Corbyn refuses, Mr Johnson said "this government will simply carry on".

He added that he would work "tirelessly" for a deal but the government would still prepare to leave the EU on 31 October "whatever happens".

Labour said Ms Rudd's resignation showed the government was "falling apart".

The MP for Hastings and Rye, who supported Remain in the 2016 referendum, said her resignation had been "a difficult decision".

"I will be considering my position - whether I will stand as an independent Conservative should there be an election coming up," she told the Sunday Times.

In her resignation letter to PM Boris Johnson she said: "I joined your cabinet in good faith: accepting that 'No Deal' had to be on the table, because it was the means by which we would have the best chance of achieving a new deal to leave on 31 October.

"However I no longer believe leaving with a deal is the government's main objective."

Her resignation comes after a week of setbacks for the prime minister, when a cross-party group of MPs seized control of the Parliamentary agenda.

They voted through a bill to block a no-deal Brexit - which Mr Johnson said "scuppered" his negotiating strategy with the EU - and rejected his call for a snap election on 15 October.

Following the rebellion Mr Johnson removed the whip from 21 Tory MPs - including two former chancellors and the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Nicholas Soames.

The government is also planning - in a breach of convention - to stand a candidate against the Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, at the next election for allowing rebel MPs to take control of the Parliamentary timetable.

Ms Rudd described the expulsions as a "short-sighted culling" of "broad-minded and dedicated Conservative MPs".

"I cannot support this act of political vandalism," she added.

One of the rebel MPs, David Gauke, tweeted that Ms Rudd had been "extraordinarily brave" and her concerns "reflect the views of many of my (former) colleagues".

"One way or another, it is time for them to act," he added.

Fellow rebel Rory Stewart described Ms Rudd as a "true One Nation Conservative", adding: "we must unite to support a Brexit deal and get this done".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Conservative Party had "always been a broad church" and he was "gutted" to see Ms Rudd leave.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, said "we are doing everything we can" to reach a deal.

But he said the EU were setting a test on the Irish backstop arrangement that is "impossible to meet".

The backstop - a position of last resort to maintain a seamless border on the island of Ireland - is proving a serious obstacle to Mr Johnson's Brexit plans.

Mr Barclay said the government is proposing "reasonable alternative solutions" but he objected to the EU's demand for "molecular detail" on how they would work before 31 October.

In response to Ms Rudd's resignation, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer tweeted that Mr Johnson's government was "falling apart".

Labour Party chair Ian Lavery said the resignation was a sign that "no one trusts" Mr Johnson.

"The prime minister has run out of authority in record time and his Brexit plan has been exposed as a sham," he said.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called on the prime minister to resign, arguing he had "no support or credibility left".

"Boris Johnson's Tory government is on the verge of collapse - with no majority, no mandate and no right to pursue its reckless plans to impose an extreme Brexit," he said.

Who is Amber Rudd?

The 56-year old has been MP for Hastings and Rye in East Sussex since 2010
Her majority in the 2017 election was just 346 votes
In the 2016 referendum, she was a Remain supporter - her brother helped fund the campaign
Ms Rudd was appointed home secretary in July 2016
She resigned as home secretary in 2018 over the Windrush scandal, saying she "inadvertently misled" MPs
But an inquiry concluded she was let down by her officials and she returned to the cabinet as work and pensions secretary months later
Ms Rudd was married for five years to the late journalist and writer AA Gill
An Edinburgh University graduate, she previously worked in banking and recruitment
She was credited as a consultant on the 1994 hit film Four Weddings and a Funeral
In the 2016 Tory leadership debates, she described Boris Johnson as the "life and soul of the party but not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49623737

2019-09-08 06:35:55Z
52780376700372

Amber Rudd quits government over Johnson's Brexit stance - BBC News

Amber Rudd has quit the cabinet and surrendered the Conservative whip saying she cannot "stand by" while "moderate Conservatives are expelled".

The work and pensions secretary said she no longer believed leaving the EU with a deal was the government's "main objective".

Ms Rudd described the sacking of 21 Tory MPs on Tuesday as an "assault on decency and democracy".

No 10 said it was "disappointed" by the resignation of a "talented" minister.

But a spokesperson added that "all ministers who joined the Cabinet signed up to leaving the EU on 31 October come what may".

A senior government source said "resignations to chase headlines won't change the fact that people want Brexit done so that government can deliver on domestic priorities".